At the regular business Board of Education meeting on November 16, Superintendent Joynt provided a report regarding the district’s ongoing decision-making procedures as we manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns have been raised by families, staff, and community members with varying opinions on the topic, including:
- Concerns about a post-holiday spike in cases and encouragement to transition to distance learning across the district
- Hopes that the district will refrain from transitioning to distance learning, as current evidence indicates low levels of COVID-19 transmission within schools
- Requests that school district leaders continue to use multiple factors to inform decisions as has been shared in recent communication updates, as this pandemic is a fluid situation
- Thoughts that the district should transition all students to distance learning due to the critically high risk rating for community spread of COVID-19
A critical issue over the last month has been the availability of staff members to support on campus instruction and with the community burden in its heightened state, fewer substitute teachers/staff are interested in taking on job opportunities. For now, the Mequon-Thiensville School District will continue forward with the option of on campus and distance learning at all schools. District leaders will continue to account for the fact that the community burden is considered at a “critically high risk” while monitoring internal data to inform classroom, grade level, and building-wide closures in alignment with guidance from the health department. The district remains committed to an approach of using research, assessment, and measurement to inform decision-making and accountability.
